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OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - The distant promise of a college education has become real for hundreds of students at an Oakland high school.
Castlemont High School in East Oakland has received a $2 million gift to cover the cost of a higher education for hundreds of students.
Growing up in East Oakland, Castlemont senior Jaden Starks hoped he would one day go on to college, but was never sure it would happen.
"We can't put money away for college tuition. It's too much. The money we do get, and it isn't much, we have to put toward bills and food and rent," said Starks, a high school senior.
But the high cost of college is no longer a barrier for Starks and hundreds of other Castlemont students looking to further their education. That's because on Monday Castlemont received the donation from the community-based San Francisco Foundation.
The money will go toward tuition, books and living expenses of any student who gets into college.
"This program is helping us out, shining a light on my life down the road, rather than being a dark alleyway," said Starks.
The donation will help expand an Oakland Unified School District program called the Oakland Promise. The idea is to not just help the students financially, but also emotionally and academically, so they not only go to school, but succeed.
"It's important because Castlemont has historically been a school whose students have struggles to either graduate high school or finish college when they make it to college," said Oakland Schools Superintendent Antwan Wilson.
"We want every student to know they are in school for a reason. They have a great destiny in front of them and we can as a community believe in their brilliance and their potential," said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.
One Castlemont student, Jai Stenson, told us she wants to become a lawyer and it isn't just a pipe dream.
"None of my parents went to college. For me to go to college is everything for me and my mom and dad," Jai said.